New Delhi -LRB- CNN -RRB- Thankfully , no one was wounded after crude bombs were hurled at a Tamil news station in India on Thursday . But the loud explosions injured a vital part of the world 's largest democracy : free speech .

Last week , when India 's government and a British documentarian faced off over a film featuring a man imprisoned for a 2012 gang rape in South Delhi , a little-known channel hundreds of miles away in southern India was waging its own battle . Hardline Hindu groups were angry with broadcaster Puthiya Thalaimurai for filming a show about the relevance of a traditional necklace -- called mangalsutra in Hindi and thaali in Tamil -- worn by married Indian women . For them , the contents , as shown in the promos , were offensive to Hindu culture .

The station planned to release the program Sunday , International Women 's Day . But it canceled the telecast after demonstrations took place outside its office . Protesters allegedly attacked one of its cameramen .

Four days later , the channel came under fire again , when four men on two motorbikes threw bombs into its compound in a predawn attack , authorities say . Six people involved in the bombing have been arrested , said S. George , the commissioner of the southern Indian city of Chennai . Their leader turned himself in separately , claiming responsibility for the attack , police said .

`` The show wanted to give women a platform . We welcome all opinions and thoughts . But you can not strangle freedom of free expression by violent means and threats , '' said Shyam Kumar , the CEO of New Generation Media Corp. , which runs Puthiya Thalaimurai . `` We condemn the attack in the strongest possible terms , '' he told CNN .

` India 's Daughter , ' the film banned by India : What did it show ?

But India is no stranger to censorship imposed legally or forced by rowdy protesters .

The country 's constitution guarantees freedom of expression , but not without restrictions . Communities or people claiming their religious sentiments were hurt by anyone else 's opinion can file a lawsuit .

Authorities can seek restraining orders from local courts -- as they did to ban the recent BBC documentary `` India 's Daughter '' -- by citing potential disorder .

Earlier last year , Penguin India withdrew `` The Hindus : An Alternative History , '' a book by American academic Wendy Doniger , after a local advocacy group accused the writer of denigrating Hinduism .

In December , a Bollywood movie , `` PK , '' came under attack over similar accusations when mobs tore apart its posters in parts of India . A satire on religious rituals , `` PK '' became a roaring success by being one of the country 's highest-grossing movies .

But India , home to one of the world 's largest film industries , has blocked several movies from screening .

At least two films were not allowed last year . One of them featured the lives of the Sikh assassins of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi , and the other centered on the violence in Sri Lanka in the closing months of its civil war .

Hounded by protests over his novel , Perumal Murugan , a Tamil author , announced quitting writing in a dramatic post on Facebook in January .

`` Perumal Murugan , the writer is dead . As he is no God , he is not going to resurrect himself . He has no faith in rebirth . As an ordinary teacher , he will live as P Murugan . Leave him alone , '' he said on Facebook two months ago . Religious and caste-based organizations had slammed his novel `` Madhorubhagan , '' which depicted a childless wife taking part in an ancient festival allowing consensual sex between strangers .

Just last week , India blocked the BBC from airing `` India 's Daughter '' because it included comments from one of the men convicted of raping a young student in a moving bus in New Delhi in 2012 . The reason : The inmate 's views could create unrest .

`` There 's a growing intolerance towards different shades of opinion . It 's a medieval mindset . What India needs is a concerted effort to move beyond it and embrace free expression in totality , '' said Kumar , the New Generation Media chief executive .

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Indian broadcaster Puthiya Thalaimurai drew protests for a show about traditional necklaces worn by married women

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This comes after India banned a film featuring a man imprisoned for a gang rape in South Delhi

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`` There 's a growing intolerance towards different shades of opinion , '' a broadcasting company CEO says